Who knew how much those Fender & Gibson guitars and amps would be worth back then- 1950's & 1960's? Being a guitar player and drummer in the 1960's was an experience that can only be appreciated by the teenage musicians who were there. Remember what it was like waiting and wishing you could save enough money to buy your first good guitar?
Back then your parents were not going to offer to buy it for you or lend you the money- no way. The only way to get the guitar, amp, or drums you wanted was by purely working part time and earning the money for it. When you finally saved enough money to make your first purchase you would promise yourself to keep the secret of the # 1 rule - never reveal the true price you paid for the instrument to your parents.
Because after all you worked hard to earn the money to pay for it and it was all yours, a teenage musician learns fast of having that feeling of $ money in your pocket to musician broke! Or maybe you were fortunate and you could convince your parents to maybe lend you the money to buy a new Sears Silvertone amp. Well, my point is that we never dreamed that those Fender guitars, Gibson guitars, bass guitars, keyboards and Gretsch drums would have been the best investment of our life and we could have put our parents to shame today if we held on to all the instruments we owned in our lifetime. Back then the word vintage only meant it was something you didn't want because it was probably your father's old guitar with 3 nylon strings stored in your grandmother's attic or basement.
Ahh the fun of learning to play guitar or drums--- could you imagine today that if your son or daughter wanted to play drums and you bought them a pair of drumsticks for their birthday and said, "here I bought you a pair of drumsticks to learn to play the drums, "just beat these sticks on this wood block and rubber pad and we will see how good a musician you are and maybe next year we will get you a snare drum"... I don't think so!
In recent years the consumer interest in vintage guitars and vintage musical instruments and increased and purchases of these items has hit all time highs and keeps on growing. The guitar manufacturers have a new customer market to aim their sights on. Different from the past where new generations of musicians have been the target, the focus is on the repeat customer from 30 years ago - the Baby Boomers and they are back with pockets full of money to spend. Guitar manufacturers have realized that this market is totally different than any other in musical instrument history.
The Baby Boomer musician wants to own today, the guitars & amplifiers and drum sets that they could not afford as teenagers 40 years ago and they are willing to spend inflated dollars to fulfill their teenage dreams of owning a quality brand instrument. The new breed of re-issue vintage guitars and amplifiers are identical replicas in style and color as their 1950's & 1960's versions. The largest change in the vintage products is the price, usually 10 -20 times more expensive than their original issue cost. To stay competitive with new products the manufacturers have also released new inexpensive versions of products to be more affordable to the beginner musicians. I am sure that these new style guitars and amplifiers will increase in value 50 years from now to become vintage items also.
So a word to the wise and the young - hold onto your new guitars and drums and don't trade them in, they might be the best investment you will ever make, ask you mom or dad, see if they remember a similar story.
Copyright Jerry 2007
